Several “unidentified drones” have breached the airspace above a U.S. Navy weapons station in New Jersey, military officials have confirmed.
According to a Friday statement from the naval base, multiple drones entered the airspace.
It comes amid growing concerns of numerous recent sightings of “car-sized” drones over New Jersey.
The crafts have alarmed residents and lawmakers.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI say they are investigating the phenomena.
On Friday, Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, New Jersey, provided a statement to ABC News.
The statement reinforces the concerns about drones flying over the state.
Bill Addison, public affairs officer for the naval station, said in the statement:
“While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle.
“The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities.”
The statement did not specify when it witnessed drones flying over its airspace, however.
The naval base added that it “continues to closely coordinate with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of our personnel and operations.”
Lame-duck President Joe Biden’s administration has been accused of slow-walking its response to citizens’ concerns about drone sightings.
Some lawmakers are calling on the administration to do more to prevent drones from potentially flying over sensitive military sites.
On Thursday, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said that the federal government has no evidence to “corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.”
“To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully,” Kirby added.
Kirby said the government has “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”
WATCH:
John Kirby on drone activity in and around New Jersey: "We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus… We have not been able to…corroborate any of the reported visual sightings." pic.twitter.com/xfxFaJQUaN
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 12, 2024
The statements from the White House came after Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) said that “qualified sources” told him the drones are coming from an Iranian “mothership” off the East Coast of the U.S.
Van Drew told Fox News on Wednesday:
“From very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources, I’m going to tell you the real deal: Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago, that contains these drones.”
After Van Drew’s comments, the Pentagon said it has “no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary.”
Van Drew shot back, however.
The congressman said the federal government has “been incredibly stupid and incredibly weak with this.”
Republican New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia shared to X on Wednesday details from a briefing.
During the briefing, the drones were described as being up to 6 feet in diameter, operated in a coordinated manner, and appeared to avoid detection by helicopters and radio frequencies.
“We know nothing. PERIOD,” Fantasia emphasized.
“To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, and I informed all officials of that sentiment.”
Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said on Thursday that the U.S. government “should be doing some very smart intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases.”
“They should be shot down, if necessary because they’re flying over sensitive areas,” he said.
